Paper folding machine



y 17, 1932- c. H. GUNN 1,858,621

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE Fil ed Sept. 2, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Ch as 11.0w?

May 17, max. H NN 1,858,621

PAPER FOLDI NG MACHINE Fild se tfz, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNvENToR Chas H. Gann ATTORNEY tion.

Patented May 17, 1932 UNITED STATES CHARLES H. GUNN, or BURLINGAME, CALIFORNIA PAPER FOLDING MACHINE Application filed September 2, 1930. Serial No. 479,156.

This invention relates to machines for folding sheets of paper for various purposes, my principal object being to provide a machine of this character which will fold a sheet of paper along its opposite side edges and will then deliver the folded sheet from the folding mechanism, all in a continuous opera- A further object of the invention is to provide asimple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly efiective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1' is a side view partly in section of my improved paper folding machine showing the parts in their normal or non-operative position. i

Fig. 2 is across section substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1, showing a sheet of paper in place to be folded.

Fig. 3 is a side view 'of the machine showing the parts as moved to a paper folding position.

spaced rails for supporting sheets of paper 2, said rails having side flanges along their outer edges to locate the sheets. Intermediate the ends of the rails a vertically movable stop 3 of suitable character is provided, which stop normally projects between the rails so that the stack of sheets 2 will be supported on the rails ahead of the stop, as shown in Fig. 1. At their rear ends these rails aline with similarly spaced ledges 4 which are formed in connection with an intermediate platform 5 which is on a lower level than the ledges and extends the full length of the same. Narrow undercut transversely extending grooves 6 are provided at the junction of the side edges of the platform with the inner edges of the ledges. 'Stops 7 project upwardly above the ledges at their rear ends, the space between these stops being greater than the distance between the bottoms of the grooves 6. c

The rails, ledges, and platform are all arranged as a rigid unit and are supported by bars 8 or the like which extend beyond the rear end of the platform and are adapted to be secured to a rigid supporting means such as a table 9 or the like. The supporting bars are arranged so that the rails and ledges have a considerable downward slant from the outer transversely spaced bracket plates 10, on the lower end of and between which is pivoted a bellcrank 11, having relatively long and short arms. The short arm projects in a substantially horizontal and forward direction and is connected to an operating mechanism which may be power or manually actuated.

In the present instance this mechanism is shown as being a foot treadle 12, which is pivoted at one end in connection with the floor or other rigid part, and isconnected at its other end to said short arm of the bellcrank by an upstanding link 13. Theother and long arm of the bellcrank normally projects upwardly and rearwardly to a point rearwardly of the rear end of the platform 5, and is there connected to a slide 1 1. This slide engages slide guide grooves 15 which are formed between the platform and the plates 10; said grooves being disposed so that they have an upward and forward slant relative to the plane of theupper surface of the platform. The forward end of the slide carries an upstanding finger 16 which projects into a slot 17 extending from top to bottom of the platform and from the front end of the same rearwardly a certain distance. This finger is arranged so that when the slide is in its rearmost position the finger is below the level of the top of the platform, as shown in Fig. 1. When however the slide is moved forward-' ly to its limit of movement the finger is then above the platform and is ahead of the front end of the same, as well as a sheet of paper resting thereon, as shown in Fig. 8. A tension spring 18 acts to hold the bellcrank and associated parts in their normal positions above described. 7 V Lugs 19 project upwardly from the platform at the forward ends ofthe ledges 1 to the sides of the same and support the rear- [wardly extending arms 20 which are pivoted thereon. These'arms support a transversely extending shaft or bar 21 from which a block 22 depends and which on'its lower end carries a hinge pin 23 which extendslengthwise of the platform and is parallel thereto. Hinged on said pin are opposed plates 24 which extend substantiallythe full length of the ledges and which are normally but yieldably held at a downward and obtuse angle relative to each other by springs 25. WVhen in "this position the opposed lower edges'of the plates are spaced apart a distance somewhat less than the spacing between the inner faces of the. ledges 4, and also lie above the plane of the ledges somewhat, as shown in Fig. 2. Links 26 connect the short arm of the bellcrank 11 with the arms 20 intermediate their ends, so that said arms will b'e'depressed when. the bellcrank arm and th treadle are likewise depressed.

In operation a sheet of paper from-the stack is allowed to slide into position on the ledges and against the stops 7 by suitable manipulation, of the releasable stop 3; the portion of the sheet between the ledges being maintained in suspended relation to the'pla'tform. As soon as the'sheet is in this position the treadle 12 maybe depressed. This causes the slide 14 to move upwardly so that the finger 16 is finallypostioned ahead of the sheet.

' the same time the arms 20 and thefolding unit associated therewith, and consisting essentially of the plates 24, are depressed.

Such depression causes the opposedlower edges of the plates to engage the paper for its full length inwardly of the ledges, and of course presses, the major area of the same down onto the platform. This leaves the side edge portions of the sheet upstanding between'the ledges. A further depression of the treadle andfolding unit tends to-fiatten out the plates 24 against the resistance of "This movement forces the adjacent portions of the paper into the grooves 6 also, imparting the desired bends or folds to the sheet a short distance from their side edges, so'that longitudinally extending side flanges 2a are formed, as plainly shown in Fig. 6.

Upon the release of the treadle and the raising of the folding unit, the finger 16 is again moved toward the rear. In so doing it engages the forward edge of the folded sheet and forces the same clear of the ledge grooves and to a position where it can be grasped and removed from the machine by hand. The stops 7 do not then interfere with such movement of the sheet, since in its folded condition the sheet is narrower than the space benecting'mechanism, as indicated generallyat;

29 in Fig. 1, so that with each lowering of the arms 20 and depression of the folding plates,

the counter will be actuated.

From the foregoingdescription it-will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as will substantially fulfill the objects of the invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred cons'tructionofthe device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may beresorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of thejinvention, as defined by the appended claims. I

' Having thus described my'inv'ention what I claim as new and useful and'desireto secure by LettersPatent is:

1. A paper folding" machine including transversely spaced ledges forming supports for a sheet of paper along its side edges, a

platform between and lower thanthe ledges,

oppositely facing grooves "extending lengthwise of the ledges, and being formed under the ledges at the level of'the platform, and

means for engagement with the sheet between the ledges to press the same down onto the platform, whereby the sheet is bent and the portions of the sheet originally resting on the ledges project upwardly; and to then force the sheet at the :bends into the grooves whereby to cause said portions to be folded onto the main bodyof the sheet.

2. A structure as in claim 1, with means mounted in connection with the folding -.means and arranged to function-subsequent thereto, to slide the folded sheet clear ofthe ledges and platform.

3. A structure as in claim 1, with a finger to engage one end of the folded sheet, and

means to cause the finger to move to a sheet meansconnecting said finger to thefolding engaging position by the time the folding has been effected, and to then travel lengthwise of the sheet to deliver the same from the plane of the ledges and folding means.

4. A paper folding machine including transversely spaced ledges forming supports for a sheet of paper along its side edges, a platform between and lower than the ledges, oppositely facing grooves extending lengthwise of the ledges and being formed under the ledges at the level of the platform, a pair of plates normally above and extending lengthwise of the ledges, said plates being disposed at a downwardly diverging angle relative to each other from their adjacent edges, means yieldably holding the plates in such angular relation, the space between the lower edges of the plates being less than the distance between the ledges, and means for depressing the plates to cause them to press the sheet down onto the platform and to cause the plates to be flattened out so that their lower edges will be projected into the grooves.

5. A paper folding machine including transversely spaced ledges forming supports for a sheet of paper along its side edges, a platform between and lower than the ledges, oppositely facing grooves extending length wise of the ledges and being formed under the ledges at the level of the platform, a pair of plates normally above and extending lengthwise of the ledges, said plates being disposed at a downwardly diverging angle relative to each other from their adjacent edges, means yieldably holding the plates in such angular relation, the space between the lower edges of the plates being less than the distance between the ledges, supporting means for the plates including substantially horizontal arms pivoted at one end in connection with and above the ledges, means applied to the arm to pull the same down to depress the plates against the sheet, and spring means acting to hold the arms raised.

6. A structure as in claim 4, with a finger to engage one end of the sheet, supporting means for the finger, means between the plate depressing means and finger supporting means to move the finger to one end of the sheet when the plates are depressed, and vice versa, and guide means for the finger supporting means to cause the finger to move to a level above that of the platform onl as movement of the lever in the opposite direction.

8. A paper folding machine including a support for a sheet of paper to be folded,

means for folding the sheet when in position on the support, means to operate the folding means including a reciprocating lever whose movement in one direction effects a folding operation, a slide under and movable lengthwise of the support, the latter having a longitudinal slot therethrough, a finger on one end of the slide, connecting means between the slide and lever to move the slide, with the movement of the lever in a foldin direction, so that the finger is then beyon one end of the folded sheet, and means supporting the slide to cause said finger to then project above the level of the sheet.

9. A paper folding machine including a support for a sheet of paper to be folded, means for folding the sheet when in position on the support, means to operate the folding means including a reciprocating lever whose movement in one direction efiects a folding operation, a finger to project above the sheet at one end, and means between the lever and finger to place the latter in such position at the conclusion of a folding operation, and to cause the finger to engage and draw the sheet along the support with the movement of the lever in the opposite direction.

10. A paper folding machine including a support for a sheet of paper to be folded, means for folding the sheet when in position on the support, means to operate the folding means, a movable member to engage one end of the sheet, and means between said member and the folding means to move the member to a sheet engaging position at the conclusion of a folding operation and to cause said member to withdraw the sheet from the support only subsequent to the conclusion of a folding operation.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES H. GUNN.

said finger approaches said one end '0 the sheet.

7. A paper folding machine including a support for a sheet of paper to be folded, means for folding the sheet when in position on the support, means to operate the folding means including a reciprocating lever whose movement in one direction effects a folding operation, and means provided with said lever for engagement with the sheet to withdraw the same from the support with the 

